Employers that believe they're prepared for everything regarding safety and risks should still have procedures for managing issues that come "out of left field", says Telstra's chief risk officer.
Through an award-winning safety system, an employer recorded - and fixed - 8000 hazards at its NSW workplaces last year, and has gone 15 months without a lost-time injury - a company record.
A business that introduced a vacuum lifting system to reduce manual handling, and roof ventilation to improve the comfort of workers, has been announced as one of NSW's safest employers. Also in this article, the winners of the NSCA Awards have been announced.
Service provider Programmed's 13 "life saving rules", which workers are required to follow on a daily basis, have helped it reduce its lost-time injury frequency rate by 41 per cent, according to managing director Chris Sutherland.
An employer's successful health and wellbeing program, aimed at tackling fatigue, attracted the interest of workers after its name was changed to "How to lose weight and drink beer", according to an HSE manager.
Employees exposed to the trauma of others in the course of their work face their own risk of injury, so employers should take steps to educate them on the signs of "vicarious trauma", says employment lawyer Josh Bornstein.
BHP Billiton claims in its 2013 sustainability report, released today, that it can partly attribute a reduction in workers' exposure to carcinogens and airborne contaminants to establishing its own occupational exposure limits when regulatory limits are inadequate.
Bis Industries has proven to be a leader in creating healthy and safe workplaces for the second consecutive year, after receiving a national award for tackling worker fatigue and keeping communities onside.
